Tuck Evermore
by cogsiethetickedoffclock
Summary: What will happen when Jesse Tuck meets the granddaughter of his one and only love, Winnie Foster? Read to find out! :
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, ya'll, what's up? This is my first fanfic on Tuck Everlasting, and yes, it's based off the movie. This is actually the second one I've put onto the site, but the first one, a Draco/Ginny fic on Harry Potter, didn't go so red hot. I finally decided to try my luck with this one; hopefully it'll get a lot more response than the HP one did. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own nutin'.**

Chapter 1-The Arrival of Fate

She cried herself to sleep the night her grandmother died, and prayed for her grandmother's peaceful rest in a place far away from the earth. Elizabeth Jackson had been the closest of all her siblings to her grandmother; she was the one who had taken time to listen to Winifred Jackson's stories of when she was young in the early nineteen hundreds. She loved to hear about what a wild girl her grandmother had been when she was just about her age; the wonderful woven stories Winifred Jackson could tell of a boy who would live forever until the end of time. Elizabeth's mother, Victoria Jackson, always tried to tell her that those stories were nothing but tosh, and that there was no way anyone could never die.

Victoria Jackson had been listening to her mother-in-law's stories for eighteen years after marrying into the family, and she continued to hear of them as her daughter spoke of nothing else. More than anything, Elizabeth wanted to meet the boy who couldn't grow old and winkled, and she detested it when her mother insisted on telling her not to believe in such childish things. Elizabeth wasn't quite a child anymore, at age sixteen, but she was not yet an adult, and she hated it when Victoria treated her as a grown up.

So when Winifred Jackson passed on, Elizabeth felt as if she had lost her last contact to her childhood. Not to mention she had lost her best friend that night, the only one who had bothered to listen to her troubles with her mother, the only one who actually knew how she felt. Growing up, Winnie Foster had felt stifled by her parents' insistence that she become less like a child and more an adult. They had wanted to send her away to a finishing school so that she would have all she would need to be a proper, well-brought up wife and mother. That was when Winnie Foster, at fifteen, had met the Tucks and had decided that she should live life to the fullest.

That was what Elizabeth wanted, after hearing her grandmother's stories about her young love and his family, only Victoria had other ideas for her daughter. Winifred's only son and child had died when Elizabeth was just an infant, and Victoria had attempted to single-handedly raise all of her four children by herself, without Winifred's offered help. The rest of Victoria's children had grown up properly the way she'd wanted and had gone off; leaving Tree Gap behind, gotten married, and had children of their own. None of them believed their "crazy" old grandmother's story of the Tucks, not even when they themselves were kids. Not one believed except for Elizabeth, and she trusted in it even stronger when her grandmother passed on.

A year after her grandmother's death, Elizabeth passed her seventeenth birthday, observed only by Victoria and the one friend Elizabeth had: Charlotte Johanssen. Charlotte never thought that Winifred was insane like others had; on the contrary, she believed everything that came out of the old woman's mouth, just like Elizabeth had. The day of her seventeenth birthday was solemn for both Elizabeth and Charlotte, as the day before had marked the first year Winifred had been gone from the earth.

Victoria smiled broadly, looking into the camera she held before her eyes, snapping a shot of Elizabeth blowing out her candles, wearing a long white Victorian dress with a red sash she had been forced into. Charlotte and Elizabeth thought it was ridiculous. Victoria, with her old-fashioned ideas, thought it was darling. Finally, after cutting the cake, the girls were able to excuse themselves and hurry outside into the yard, picking some of Victoria's roses to lay on Winifred's grave. What they didn't expect to see sobbing at the grave was a young man no older than seventeen or eighteen with long dark brown hair. His face was obscured by the arm he was crying into, but Elizabeth had a feeling that he was quite handsome and she felt a twinge of remorse for him. She didn't know why he was crying at Winifred's grave, but she had an inkling.

Elizabeth took a step forward but Charlotte held her back. Shaking off her friend's hand, the birthday girl stalked confidently over to the boy and grabbed his shoulder roughly. He turned around with a gasp and after apparently recovering from his shock, his eyes widened. "Winnie?" he whispered, and Elizabeth bit her bottom lip to keep from breaking into tears at the mention of her beloved grandmother.

"N-no," she stuttered, swallowing a lump in her throat. "My name is Elizabeth Jackson. And you are?" The question was hardly necessary, but she wasn't exactly sure he was who she thought he was, and thought it appropriate and polite to ask him his name.

"Um…" the boy hesitated. "No one. Just an old friend. I didn't know Winnie was dead."

"You don't look old," Elizabeth teasingly remarked, but her smile faded when she saw the boy remained unmoved.

"I'm sorry. You look so much like her…are you related?"

"She was my grandmother," Elizabeth replied, hardening her features. She had never heard anyone talk about her grandmother with so much passion and caring in his voice; even her grandfather hadn't spoken about Winifred like that.Charlotte cleared her throat from behind the two, and Elizabeth turned around, quickly snatching her friend's arm and dragging her over to introduce her to the boy. "This is Charlotte Johanssen." She paused. "Are you going to tell us your name?"

The boy seemed mesmerized by Charlotte; he stared up at her with large dark eyes as if entranced. Elizabeth was slowly getting agitated, and she stepped in front of her friend. "Well?"

"Jesse Tuck," he mumbled, eyes now downcast, not wanting to see Winifred's features displayed in Elizabeth's countenance. She was surprised, naturally; she had never realized she was the spitting image of Winnie Foster at that age. No one, not even Winifred had mentioned that. She had the same long dark curly hair, same eyes, same skin tone. Jesse had recognized it instantly, mostly because of the dress. It was an exact replica of the one Winnie had worn when their two worlds had collided.

"Jesse," Elizabeth breathed, squatting next to him and forcing him to meet her smoldering gaze. "Winifred told me about you. She always knew you would come back for her, but she couldn't wait that long. Her mother forced her to marry my grandfather, Edward Jackson."

"You know about me?" There was no mistaking the astonishment in his voice as he asked the question. It was obvious in the manner that he now regarded her that he had thought Winnie would keep him and his family a secret. Elizabeth nodded eagerly in reply to his question, and he let out a huge breath that he seemed to have been holding. "Do you know about the spring as well?"

"Yes," Elizabeth barely whispered. "Grandmother took me to it once. That was where she first told me the story of your family."

Jesse nodded slightly and inclined his head toward Charlotte, who now crouched beside her friend. "And does…Miss…um…Johanssen…know about it as well?"

"Oh yes," Charlotte cut in before Elizabeth could respond. The blonde girl seemed as captivated by Jesse as he was by her, and Elizabeth suddenly felt a twinge of envy stab her stomach painfully. She ignored it, not wanting anyone to know, least of all a boy she had just met but felt like she had known her entire life. "Winifred told me stories of it too…when Elizabeth and I became friends. I've never been to the spring, of course, but I know where to find it." Charlotte said all of this very fast and Elizabeth felt annoyed with her friend's bubbly attitude and personality.

"Why don't you take me there?"

Elizabeth couldn't tell who Jesse had directed the question to, but Charlotte had risen to her feet and was leading the way to the woods, Jesse following close behind. Elizabeth lagged behind, rolling her eyes at the pair. Charlotte was giggling profusely, while Jesse eyed her in a strange manner. Elizabeth thought it was an insult to her grandmother's memory to be feeling this way about Winnie's first love, and she thought it was a bigger insult for Charlotte to be flirting with him. And it didn't help that Jesse obviously thought she was beautiful, maybe more beautiful than Elizabeth was and even more beautiful than Winnie.

Elizabeth knew she wasn't a very attractive person. Throughout her years, she had seen Charlotte with various boyfriends, but she had never found one of her own. Of course, she had fancied herself in love with a couple boys whom she had thought at the time were incredibly handsome, but they never felt the same attraction for her. Instead, they had always gone after her gorgeous blonde friend, one Miss Charlotte Johanssen.

They entered the woods, Elizabeth still dragging her feet behind them, and through the twists and turns they wove their way into the clearing where the spring was. Elizabeth didn't know Charlotte would have been able to find the way to the everlasting spring by herself, but apparently, she had managed. Elizabeth made herself comfortable by the spring, spreading her white dress out around her as she sat with her legs folded to the side. Charlotte was giggling and flirting, holding Jesse's hand as she pulled him toward the water.

Elizabeth could not read Jesse's expression and a sinking feeling swept through her. She trembled slightly, but when Charlotte noticed and asked what it was, she blamed it on the slight breeze that had picked up in the woods. Above them, the trees rustled softly, and Elizabeth could hear a rather peculiar tune, a haunting melody. Without thinking, she began humming the tune, not noticing when Jesse froze and looked at her with wide eyes. She had never before heard the strange melody that now plagued her eyes to the point where she could not hear anything but what she was listening to and what she was humming.

"Elizabeth?" Charlotte was gazing at her in concern, so unlike Jesse's hurt and angered expression. Elizabeth blinked furiously and stared up at the two, confused as to why they were looking at her. She could no longer hear the music but it still ran in her mind. It was a melody she would remember for the rest of her life.

"I have to go," Jesse said abruptly, backing away slowly, then whirling around and breaking into a run. Elizabeth jumped to her feet and called after him to wait. Charlotte was glaring at her friend with a scowl upon her lovely face.

"See what you do?" Charlotte snapped. "You chased him away. No wonder boys don't like you. You can never keep your damn mouth shut!" With that rant, Charlotte took off after Jesse, her calf-length royal blue dress, matching the exact shade of her eyes, flying up around her.

Elizabeth choked back tears that threatened to engulf her and started to follow at a slow pace, but then decided against it. She walked back to the spring and collapsed beside it, sobbing over the words Charlotte had spoken that had cut through her like a knife to her heart.

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Charlotte followed Jesse, calling for him to wait. "Jesse, please! I don't know what that meant to you, but please don't go!" she begged as she chased after him. Jesse came to a sudden halt that Charlotte didn't see, and she ran smack into him, landing on her backside in a less than graceful fashion. Jesse stifled a small laugh as he turned and helped her to her feet. She flushed a pleasant rosy color and stared furiously at the forest floor. "Jesse…what happened back there?" she asked tentatively, unsure how he was going to reply to that.

"Nothing," Jesse mumbled, and turned around, walking to the place where they had entered the woods. Charlotte walked silently at his side, curiosity burning within her, but she knew better than to keep bugging him about it. They returned to Winifred's grave, and Jesse went straight past it to a motorcycle Charlotte hadn't noticed before.

"Is that how you came here?" Charlotte asked eagerly. She had always wanted to go for a ride on a motorcycle, but her mother, Catherine Johanssen, had deemed cycles unworthy and dangerous. The way both Charlotte and Elizabeth had been brought up was stifling, and their mothers often conferred with each other as to what was appropriate and what wasn't for wealthy young ladies to be doing.

"Yes," Jesse replied, straddling the bike and fitting his helmet over his face. Charlotte smiled weakly and waved as he revved the bike and rode away. Somehow, she knew they would meet again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, this is Cogsie, and I'm back with another chapter! Thank you to the first, and so far only, person who reviewed. I really appreciate it because I wasn't sure if I should continue with the story. But as long as there is at least one person reading, I'll definitely keep going. Thanks a bundle!**

**Disclaimer: If you think I own this, then you're crazy! Haha, no this all belongs to someone who is not me…hehehe**

Chapter 2-Meeting the Matriarch

The entire Jackson household had been in an uproar ever since the previous day when Charlotte Johanssen had come back from the woods without Elizabeth. Charlotte had gotten a large telling off from both Victoria Jackson and her mother. They were angry that Charlotte hadn't thought to wait for Elizabeth when she had decided to head back to the house. Victoria had every single police officer in Tree Gap all throughout the woods, searching for her lost daughter. Charlotte, in turn, was grounded and had been confined to the Johanssen mansion until Elizabeth was found. Charlotte couldn't find it in herself to be worried about her best friend; it was because of her that Jesse Tuck had decided to leave, because she had started humming that creepy melody.

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Elizabeth had fallen asleep under the tree that held the forbidden spring, still listening to the haunting tune playing in her head. She awoke from a weird dream about her grandmother. She had touched her grandmother's hand, and Winifred had turned into Jesse, reaching for her; she saw other faces in her mind's eye, but she could not bring herself to feel fear until she had fully opened her eyes and saw that she was not in her room. She was still in the forest and someone was standing over her curiously. She screamed loudly and jumped, startling both herself and the boy. She rubbed her eyes, making sure this was not part of the dream. "Oh. Jesse Tuck, I presume?" she asked formally although she recognized the boy's profile from the day before.

Jesse nodded. "I heard you hadn't gone home yesterday and that you were lost in the woods. I figured you were still here."

Elizabeth shrugged and stumbled to her feet, brushing dirt from her once white dress, now stained with green, a result of the fallen leaves from the tree. "I'm not lost. I know my way back, thank you very much."

Jesse put his hands up as if in surrender. "Hey, I was just checking. Sorry about bailing yesterday, by the way."

"Doesn't matter. Charlotte was angry though," Elizabeth told him, stretching and yawning widely.

"With me?"

"Nope. With me. Don't care though. But she was upset because I 'chased you away.' Apparently I do that with a lot of guys," Elizabeth said, a slight smile curving her lips. Jesse reached out and touched them gently with his fingertips and Elizabeth jerked her head away in embarrassment.

"You look just like Winnie, you know, Elizabeth Jackson."

At Jesse's words, Elizabeth blushed and started walking away with her head down. She knew her grandmother's first love was wrong; she looked nothing like the late Winnie Foster. If she did, she would have boys hanging all over her, but she didn't. And she knew if she looked like Winnie at her age, she would be beautiful because the portraits she had been shown of Winnie were stunning and there was no way she could be a replica of that beauty.

"Please, Elizabeth…" Jesse began and he grabbed her hand without thinking. She paused and stared down at their interlaced fingers; he did the same and finally released her hand. She tried hard to hide her disappointment even though it was clearly evident in her body language. "I knew Winnie. She was the first one I ever fell in love with. If I say you look like her, it is because it is true." Somehow Jesse Tuck had guessed that was what was bothering her most, but she continued on her way away from him.

"Jesse Tuck," Elizabeth said, still walking in the opposite direction. "You belong in the past. My _grandmother's_ past. So why are you here? You already know she's dead." At Elizabeth's cold words, Jesse suddenly felt short of breath and he blinked back the tears he had not shed over the pain of finding Winifred Foster Jackson's grave. Elizabeth didn't let him know how much her own words affected her as well; she still was not over her grandmother's death, even after a year.

"Elizabeth, you're my last tie to Winnie."

She whirled around in her tracks to face him, her hazel eyes, mirror images of the young Winnie's, blazing. "Oh, so that's all I am? And what is Charlotte to you, hmm?"

Jesse seemed stunned by Elizabeth's sudden ferociousness. He didn't know how to respond other than, "On the last night I saw her, I told Winnie Foster that I would love her till the day I die, which is basically forever. I never broke that promise."

"Then how come you didn't back sooner?" Elizabeth was quickly growing agitated for her grandmother's sake, asking the questions Winifred had voiced in the stories she had told about the Tucks. In a way she felt like she really was the young Winnie, as if she had her grandmother's younger spirit inhabiting her body.

Jesse stared into her eyes, mesmerized. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he was all right mentally. Jesse seemed to snap out of his trance-like state and he shook his hand like a dog out of water. Elizabeth was tempted to smile at his action, but stubbornly kept the scowl on her face. "I'm sorry…it's just…I saw her looking at me through your eyes."

Elizabeth's skin crawled at this and she gulped nervously. "My eyes aren't the same as hers."

"That may be, Miss Elizabeth Jackson, but I saw her _life_ in you."

Before Elizabeth could say anything, she was swept into the strong arms of a stranger who ignored her kicking and screaming. Jesse yelled for the person to stop it, to let her go, but the man (Elizabeth figured it was a man, at least) didn't listen. He threw her over something solid and climbed on behind her. When the object began galloping, Elizabeth automatically knew she had been swung onto a horse's back with her captor sitting in the back of her. Now she was too terrified to even scream, or pay attention to Jesse's shouts of rage. He was following them, on foot though, which explained him disappearing from her limited sight.

Finally the man brought his horse to a halt, jumped down, and grabbed her off the horse roughly. Elizabeth tried to struggle, but the man was too strong. Her brown hair quickly became messy in the fight and it fell out of the long braid it had been in down her back. "Stay still!" the man grunted and Elizabeth obeyed, scared of what he might do if she didn't. She stared into his eyes, and he stared back into hers, wearing the same expression Jesse had just a few minutes before, though this time, smiling was the furthest thing from her mind.

"Who are you?" Elizabeth meant to sound fearless, but against her will, a tremor of fear crept into her voice. The man grinned and she realized that he was quite handsome other than the fact that he had kidnapped her.

"Miles!" Jesse Tuck panted as he finally reached them. Elizabeth gaped at the man, realizing who this was.

"You're Miles Tuck, aren't you?" The man didn't answer. "Of course you are. Grandmother told me all about you."

"She knows?" Furious, Miles turned to Jesse. Jesse held his hands up in mock surrender though his eyes remained hard and angry. Elizabeth backed away from Miles, toward Jesse. For now, the youngest Tuck was her source of comfort, especially since he was the Jesse Tuck she had heard about all throughout her childhood. Of course, she had heard about Miles as well, but she had never expected to stumble across him and be kidnapped exactly as Winnie had so many years ago.

"Yes, I do know," Elizabeth replied brazenly. She didn't appreciate Miles talking about her as if she were not standing right in front of him. "Winnie told me about you, Miles Tuck. I know about the spring, and everything. I know you've walked this earth far longer than any normal human can."

Miles seemed to be calmed by her words. There was no hint of malice or anger in them and she did not seem afraid as Winnie had been when he had kidnapped her. She was not making the outrageous demands that he had better let her go otherwise her father would have something to say about it, and this thought made him smile for once in a long while.

"So, you know about us, huh." It wasn't a question, and Elizabeth didn't answer. "Who else?"

"My mother and all my siblings…and my…" She hesitated. At this moment, she was unsure as to whether call Charlotte a friend or not. Her features darkened into a scowl, remembering the hurtful words Charlotte had shouted at her before running off after Jesse. "…and Charlotte," she finished.

Miles looked at Jesse in confusion. "Who's Charlotte?" he mouthed.

"Her friend," Jesse mouthed back, just in case Elizabeth decided to contradict him. She didn't seem to notice the silent exchange of words between the two brothers; she only sighed, dejected, and plopped onto the hard dirty forest floor.

Miles made a move to stop her, but thought better of it. Although he didn't want her dress to get dirtier than it already was, if she had a temper anywhere close to Winnie's, it would be better if he kept his mouth shut.

"So, what are you going to do with me?" Elizabeth asked, not really caring. As long as she didn't have to go back to a life of trying to please her mother and be proper, even though it was the twenty-first century. She drew her knees up under the volumes of her dress and hugged them while gazing up imploringly at both Miles and Jesse. When they didn't answer, she picked herself up from the floor and started away, but she didn't get very far. Miles reached out and snatched her wrist, not letting her get any further. Elizabeth didn't protest.

"You're not going anywhere," Miles stated with a low growl in his throat. Elizabeth didn't roll her eyes like a child as she wanted and instead stopped in her tracks, glaring back at Jesse's older brother.

"Miles, maybe we should take her to Mae and Tuck. They'll know what to do," Jesse suggested, watching with satisfaction the way Elizabeth's eyes lit up with his words. No doubt those stories Winnie had told her had included the Tucks' head of house and matriarch.

Elizabeth didn't struggle as Miles slowly nodded and began dragging her to his horse that he had kidnapped her on. He flung her into the saddle sideways and mounted behind her. Holding her waist tightly with one arm and the reigns in his free hand, Miles kicked his horse into a fast canter and Elizabeth yelped. This was no time to remember that she was afraid of horses and in an effort to forget that, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited until the ride was over.

Miles lifted her down in front of an old rundown hut with cobwebs hanging all over the frame. She looked around for Jesse, but didn't see him. She frowned, puzzling over this, but then her expression cleared in understanding. There had only been one horse, which Miles had taken, and Jesse probably had to run after them on foot. Again.

"Ma!" Miles called, and a European-looking woman came out of the hut, drying her hands on a dishrag, probably finishing up the dishes. She smiled when she saw Elizabeth, but then as she got nearer, her face fell. Elizabeth bit her lip, wondering why.

"Who is this young lady, Miles?" the woman asked. She had a trace of an Irish accent in her voice, and Elizabeth felt sure that this was Mae Tuck. Elizabeth came forward without waiting for Miles' response, smiled, and stuck out her hand.

"My name is Elizabeth, Mrs. Tuck," Elizabeth introduced herself confidently. "Elizabeth Jackson."

"Oh," Mae responded, "I see." She looked Elizabeth up and down with a slight smile on her face, appraising the younger girl. "You look so much like a friend I once knew."

Elizabeth blushed, and turned around as she heard a breathless shout behind her, "She looks like Winnie, Ma!" It was Jesse, running up to the three.

"O' course she does, dear," Mae said, smiling widely. "Are you of any relation to Winnie Foster?"

"Yes," Elizabeth replied breathlessly, stunned that everyone kept thinking she was Winnie in her prime years. "She was my grandmother." She hung her head and a sad sigh escaped her. "She's been dead for a year now."

"Oh, my…" Mae trailed off, glancing at her younger son, knowing how painful it must be to hear those words. They had just moved back to the woods a day or so before, and Jesse had claimed he was going to ride his motorcycle to Winnie's house. When he hadn't come back for quite some time, the rest of the family had assumed that he had finally found his love and that she had decided to spend eternity in his arms.

Jesse was looking down at his feet, but slowly his gaze traveled upwards and his eyes met his mother's. He nodded miserably and Mae put a hand to her mouth, crushing the urge to run over and comfort her son as best she could. Glancing at Elizabeth, it was obvious that she was feeling the same loss over the death of Winifred, but in a different sense. Mae bit her lip, unsure of what to do now.

"I'm so very, very sorry, my dear," the Irish woman said sympathetically, her eyes softening as they rested on Elizabeth, who shrugged.

"It's in the past now," she said as if she didn't really care, but the truth was, she was so used to hiding her emotions about her grandmother's death that it practically came naturally to her now. Only Jesse seemed to be able to tell, for he was trying to compose his own emotions as well.

"Well," Mae said suddenly, clasping her hands together and faking a bright cheery voice in order to break the tense silence. "Let's wash up for breakfast…Elizabeth, would you care to join us?"

"That would be nice, thank you, Mrs. Tuck," Elizabeth replied sincerely, returning Mae's kind smile.

"Just call me Mae, dear. Jesse, Miles, go wash up in the lake. Elizabeth, come with me."

"Okay…Mae…" Elizabeth grinned, but then she looked on curiously as the boys went down to the lake. Mae cleared her throat meaningfully, and Elizabeth followed her into the little makeshift hut.

"You know about us, correct, Miss Jackson? Winnie must have told you."

"Oh, yes. My favorite bedtime stories were of the Tucks. I never thought I'd meet you, though."

"So you believed in Winnie's tales, which most would call make-believe?" Mae questioned, now incredibly curious about this girl who was the granddaughter of the late Winnie Foster.

"Yes. My mother didn't, though. Neither did my siblings."

"Well, that is interesting," Mae mused to herself as she led the way to the kitchen. She pointed to the sink, where she directed Elizabeth to wash up, and began bustling around, pulling out pots and pans, putting things into them, and placing them on the stove. Soon, an irresistible aroma filled the small room, and Elizabeth felt her mouth watering. She hadn't realized she was hungry, but now she was suddenly starving.

Laughter came from the very front of the hut, and the boys stumbled into the kitchen. Miles had his lips in a tight straight line and his cheeks were tinged pink underneath his beard; it was Jesse who seemed about ready to collapse on the floor for laughing so hard.

"I'm not going to even ask," Mae said, throwing up her hands. She directed Elizabeth to setting the table for four, and Elizabeth paused, confused. Where was Tuck? Surely he was going to eat with the others, was he not?

"Um…Mae?"

"Yes, Miss Jackson?"

"Elizabeth, if you don't mind, ma'am. But where is…Mr. Tuck?"

Silence greeted Elizabeth's question. Three pairs of eyes flickered to stare directly at her and she gulped nervously. "Angus has decided to seek his fortune elsewhere," Mae replied to Elizabeth's question calmly. "He should return within a few days. I last talked to him on a payphone a couple of days ago, telling him we were coming back to Tree Gap, and he said he was in Scotland."

That was all Mae would tell Elizabeth and she decided not to push the subject. The boys sat down, and Jesse pulled out a chair beside him, motioning for Elizabeth to sit there. Mae took Tuck's place at the head of the table. They all held hands and closed their eyes while Mae said grace, and finally, they were allowed to dig in.

The food consisted of bacon, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, and piles of toast and butter. Elizabeth grinned. She hadn't eaten since the day before, and everything looked so delicious. She ate her fill and afterwards, allowed Jesse to drag her outside in order to question her about how Winifred had turned out as an adult. Miles stayed inside to help Mae with the dishes.

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Charlotte stormed around her room, knocking everything she could out of place and onto the floor. She was consumed by a rage that didn't make any sense; why was she so pissed off at her supposed best friend over a _guy_? Maybe she was jealous…but no, that couldn't be. She always got the guy, unlike Elizabeth, who never did. Boys seemed to prefer her golden blonde locks over Elizabeth's long dark natural curls. But perhaps it was because Jesse had recognized the brunette as her dead grandmother and that Charlotte had never wanted a guy so badly in her life.

Charlotte sank onto her bed in desperation, burying her face in her palms. She was being completely irrational, and she knew it. There was no reason why she should feel this way, she thought, not now that she was away from Jesse and Elizabeth. And away from that haunting tune Elizabeth had hummed. She wondered where her friend was now.

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Jesse and Elizabeth spent the entire day out of doors until dusk. She had never been outside so much in her entire life, and it felt wonderful. She loved the feeling of the slight breeze blowing through the trees, weaving its way through her long hair. At one point, Jesse touched her curls and said, "You have beautiful hair." Elizabeth hadn't replied to that, but she had blushed, embarrassed, but in a good way. She had never been told she had beautiful anything.

When darkness began to wind through the woods, Jesse led Elizabeth back to the hut, handing her over to Mae, who fussed over the state of her clothes. Elizabeth had decided that she would like to stay with the Tucks if she wasn't imposing, and of course Mae was delighted. It brought back old memories of when Winnie had been kidnapped and lived with them for a time, forcibly at first, but then of her own free will.

"Here," Mae said, offering Elizabeth a long white nightdress. "It was your grandmother's when she lived with us. I thought you might like to wear for bed. It's simple, but-"

Elizabeth's eyes were brimming with tears, and she smiled gratefully. "No, no, Mae, thank you very much. That means a lot to me. It is definitely not simple."

Mae smiled then and left Elizabeth alone to get changed. Luckily, though she was forced into old-fashioned outfits, Victoria had never required her daughter to wear a corset underneath her dresses. It wasn't surprising. Elizabeth barely had a whole lot to show off by wearing a corset, even at her maturing age, and Victoria hadn't bothered to get Elizabeth to enhance what she'd been given. Elizabeth was grateful for this, because she had tried on one of Charlotte's once, and had discovered how difficult it was to get it on and off by herself.

When Elizabeth was finished changing, Mae reentered the room she had given their guest and explained to her where everyone was sleeping. She assured her that Miles and Jesse had their own room quite far from this makeshift one and Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. With that, she crawled onto the thin mattress that had been set up, under the ratty blankets and closed her eyes. Mae turned off the light before she left again, this time for her own bed. And for once in her life, Elizabeth fell asleep with a smile playing softly on her delicate lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for the two reviews I received on Chapter. It's greatly appreciated!  And yes, there are words I took directly from the movie, I just thought I'd mention that…**

**Disclaimer: Oh yes, I own it. Not! Hahaha…in my dreams I do, though. lol**

Chapter 3-Through the Darkness of the Forest

_Winnie was awoken by a soft whisper in her ear and she shrank back uneasily as her eyes met the younger boy's lively twinkle. He told her she had no reason to be fearful, and he asked if she wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. She smiled, thinking he meant the_ real _Eiffel Tower, though why she would have thought that, there was no logical explanation, took his hand, and allowed him to lead her outside and through the woods. They arrived at a mountain of rocks and Jesse Tuck introduced it to her as his makeshift Eiffel Tower. Winnie did not let him see how far her face fell when he said this, but she began climbing the mountain obediently behind him. She asked him his age as they climbed, thinking he would be close in numbers to her, but she was unprepared to hear his voice answer "one hundred and four"._

Elizabeth moved slowly through the darkness into the land of the conscious and she opened her eyes groggily, expecting to see the familiar walls of her room. When she saw that she was, in fact, not home and that she was facing unknown territory, she shrieked, causing the other occupants of the small hut in which she was to come running.

"Elizabeth, what is it?" Mae asked in concern, kneeling at Elizabeth's bedside and turning on the small lamp. Jesse came forward and took Elizabeth's hand, rubbing soothing circles on the back of it with his thumb.

Elizabeth was now fully awake, and she could not fall be to sleep as Mae, Tuck, and Miles exited her room, leaving Jesse and her to themselves. Jesse had withdrawn his hand from hers and was now standing about a foot away from her thin mattress. Elizabeth propped herself up on one hand, facing the boy, and grinned bashfully. Jesse was not meeting her gaze, and she frowned, rolling her eyes in disgust and annoyance.

"Your…friend…Charlotte?" When Elizabeth didn't reply, Jesse continued tentatively. "Um…where does she live?"

Elizabeth felt her heart sink at Jesse's question, but she refused to let him know that. "She is not my friend," Elizabeth snapped, rolling over and closing her eyes in an effort to calm her heart, which was beating furiously in her rage.

"Okay," Jesse said, "sorry." With that, he left the room as well; leaving Elizabeth alone to her very confusing thoughts that swirled persistently around her head.

On the one hand, she was attracted to Jesse, had been ever since she had first heard of him, when she was around the age of seven or eight. She had always imagined him as the most handsome man, or young man, that she would ever lay eyes on, and that was exactly how he had come out in person.

She remembered that when she was much younger, she had dreamed that Jesse would return to Winifred and sweep her off to a magical castle in which he lived, that he was a brave, handsome King who would make Winifred a Queen and Elizabeth herself a Princess. Nowhere in that fantasy had her mother come into play. But then Winfred had seemed to grow old and ancient before her very eyes and that dream had been dashed to bits. Then she began fantasizing about Jesse Tuck coming for _her_ instead. That part, though without the "love" between them, seemed to be coming true in a way.

Restlessly Elizabeth tossed and turned, picturing her beloved grandmother's face in her mind, recalling those fantasies that she had long ago given up, now coming back full force. Except, in her dreams,_ she_ was girl Jesse Tuck wanted. Not Charlotte. Not her former best friend. Elizabeth sighed. Maybe it was better this way, to cling to the thought of what might have been instead of ruining everything with reality.

Unable to get back to sleep, Elizabeth swung her legs off the mattress and padded barefoot across the cold dusty wooden floor. She crept out of the house, wearing nothing but the long nightdress that had belonged to Winnie in an effort to preserve her only article of clothing. She inhaled the scent of the nightdress, grinning; it smelled so old, but it was a good type of musty smell, of promises to come. But, Elizabeth decided, Jesse smelled much better, and in a different way, as well. Jesse's scent was different from what she would have thought, different from anything she had smelled on a boy. No Axe or other type of rather cheap cologne, but a scent that was natural.

She walked down to the peaceful lake and trailed her fingers through the water. The lake had a calming effect on her, and she could feel her tense body slowly begin to relax. Growing more bold, she sat on the bank and dangled her feet into the cool water, which was not as cold as she had thought it would be. This was the perfect opportunity to think, when she was alone and in the soothing woods.

She tensed once more as she heard a branch crack from behind her, and a shadowed figure sat down next to her. "What do you want?" Elizabeth asked, realizing who it was.

Jesse's voice replied from underneath a sweatshirt he wore with the hood pulled over his head to hide the chill of the early morning. "I heard you come out here."

"It's a quiet place to think," Elizabeth hinted. He didn't seem to understand that she came out here to be alone, without company of any kind.

"That it is," he agreed. It sounded as if he was smiling, but Elizabeth couldn't be too sure in the darkness that masked his face. "And what do you think about?"

"It is none of your business, Jesse Tuck," Elizabeth replied snappishly. Ignoring him now, she looked out across the still lake and had the sudden urge to jump into the water. Knowing it would be better to ignore that urge, she stood up and leapt forward, closing her eyes as she was completely submerged in the water. Without surfacing for air, she swam into the middle of the lake, her wet hair plastered to the back of the nightdress.

A splash alerted her, and she realized that Jesse was gone from the bank. She looked into the water, knowing that he had to be there somewhere, but she didn't realize that he was already behind her. He came up with a shout and dunked her. When she resurfaced, she laughed, sputtering, and turned around to slap him playfully, which she did.

Jesse grinned and swam backwards, showing off, Elizabeth assumed. He had forgotten who it was he was swimming with; he probably thought he was back with Winnie, finally having taught her to swim on her own, even if he hadn't. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and suddenly shrugged out of the nightdress, annoyed with it. It seemed to be dragging her down as she floated on her back in the center of the lake. She swam back halfway toward shore, balled up the clothing, and flung it as hard as she could at the bank. It landed on the edge, half on dry land and half submerged in the water.

Elizabeth shrugged and dived underneath the surface of the lake again. She hadn't felt so carefree in the longest time, and she was happy just to be there at that moment. She didn't notice how Jesse's gaze lingered on her now naked pale flesh, and how he gulped in an effort to keep from responding to Elizabeth's unintentional actions. She swirled toward him in the water, but he stroked backwards. She stopped, confused, then remembered. She grinned, winking.

"Um…Elizabeth…" Jesse's voice was barely audible, and he tried his hardest to conceal the lust that threatened to expose him as very turned on.

"Hmm?" she pretended now that she was barely paying attention, and had gone back to ignoring him.

"What happened to your clothes?"

"Were you not paying attention? The nightgown was too heavy. I couldn't swim in it properly. Why?" she asked curiously before feeling a twinge of guilt in her stomach. She remembered from the day before or whenever it was that she had been mad with Charlotte for flirting with the good looking boy because she felt it was an insult to her grandmother's memory. Now she was doing the same thing. But, she argued with herself, it was different. At least she was related to Winnie. Charlotte wasn't. That made a difference.

"No reason," Jesse mumbled, summoning all his will-power to keep averting his eyes from the sight of her naked body in the shimmering water of the lake. Elizabeth swam closer without him noticing until he turned around, praying she had gotten out and put her nightdress back on. Damn it! He cursed furiously within the confines of his own mind. She was close enough to kiss him…or him to kiss her…wait a minute…her lips were getting dangerously close. He had a moment of speculation as to who was the one that was getting that close. With a jolt, he realized it was him, and that his hands had drifted to her bare hips.

He snatched his hands away as if he'd been burned and hurriedly swam as far away from her as he could get. Elizabeth sighed, disappointed, and gave an involuntary yawn. "I suppose I'll go back to bed, then. Good night, Jesse." Her last sentence was soft, barely loud enough for Jesse to hear, but he did.

"Good night, Elizabeth," he whispered back as she started for the shore.

Elizabeth put on her soaking wet nightgown and proceeded to walk heavily back to the hut, although she didn't go inside. She didn't want to drip on the floor as she was sure the hut already had wood rot, it had been around for so long, and she didn't want to make it worse. She sat on the steps, huddled into a ball, clutching her arms around herself for warmth. There was a chilled breeze floating through the woods, and she shivered, longing to be back home in her nice warm bed.

As the dawn was beginning to break through the trees, she fell asleep where she sat, curled still into a ball, shivering slightly in the morning air. Jesse found her on the top step sleeping, and he wrapped his arms around her, noticing how badly she was shaking from the cold. He picked her up bridal style and carried her into the hut, not caring that her nightdress still dripped with water. He placed her on the thin mattress and pulled the sheets over her in an effort to help her stop shaking.

As Jesse left the room, Elizabeth sneezed from the cold, causing her to wake up. She sat bolt upright in bed and looked around curiously, until her eyes landed on Jesse, who had frozen at the doorway. He stared at her, noticing for the first time that her nightdress was white and very much see through because of the fact that it was soaked with water. Her hair was very straight now, due to the fact that she had gone swimming in the lake, and it was plastered to the back of her nightgown.

Elizabeth blushed, realizing what Jesse's gaze had traveled to, and pulled the blankets up to her chin. Jesse smiled at her blood-kissed cheeks; it was a very endearing look on her. "Um…what time is it?" Elizabeth asked nervously.

"Just about five O'clock," Jesse replied, turning away from her and leaving her to herself. He went to go get some dry clothes for her, knowing that she would need them if she was going to remain healthy. He rummaged through his drawers and found an old shirt of his that looked large enough to fit Elizabeth like a nightgown. He walked quietly downstairs, careful not to wake Miles in the room they shared, and Mae in the room next to that. He came to Elizabeth's room, and threw the shirt at her. Startled, she caught it out of reflexes.

"What's this?" Elizabeth asked, staring at the black shirt.

"One of my shirts that I brought with me when I came back to Tree Gap." Jesse shrugged, and went into the kitchen in order to find some breakfast, as well as to give Elizabeth privacy so she could change.

Elizabeth slowly took off her soaked nightdress and slipped Jesse's shirt over her head, inhaling the scent of it. Jesse had a unique scent to him, something unlike what she'd ever smelt before, and it gave her a sense of comfort. She ran her fingers through her damp hair which was quickly curling into a rat's nest in the air, and got out of bed. She was too restless to go back to sleep, even if she _was_ on the brink of exhaustion. She walked out her room wearing Jesse's old shirt, and found him in the kitchen, pouring cereal into a bowl and smothering it with milk.

He looked up as she entered, and bit his lip. She looked so good, so enticing in his shirt. He was surprised at himself, however. He didn't think he would ever think about another girl in the way that he had imagined Winnie, and now he was having those kinds of thoughts about Winnie's _granddaughter_, of all people. "You never answered my question," Jesse said in an effort to keep himself from doing what he wanted with Elizabeth.

"And what question would that be?" Elizabeth asked primly, sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"Where does your friend Charlotte live?"

Once again, Elizabeth found herself growling, "Charlotte is not my friend."

"Well, then, where does…Charlotte-who-is-not-your-friend live?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes in annoyance. Was there not going to be a day when she was around him that he would _not_ ask about Charlotte Johanssen? "Like I'd tell you," she responded sharply. Her tongue was as hot as the fiery pits of Hell, Jesse decided, and that made her all the more appealing to him.

Jesse gave her such a puppy-dog look that Elizabeth felt her anger melting away. She had never before met a guy who had _that_ effect on her; and what sucked was that, like usual, he was after the blonde beauty Charlotte. "Fine," Elizabeth breathed in infuriation, leaning forward and resting her head on her hands. "Her address is 1545 Walnut Road. You'd be hard-pressed to miss her house; it's the biggest one on her street."

"Thanks," Jesse said gratefully, favoring her with one of his smiles, though it was rather half-hearted, in her opinion. He stood up, washed his bowl, and turned round, his cheeks suddenly red. "I forgot. Did you want anything?"

"No thank you," Elizabeth said, trying to keep her voice from reflecting the pain she felt.

"Well, if you get hungry, feel free to help yourself." Jesse walked past her and out the door. Elizabeth got up and followed him, knowing where he was going. "I'll be back soon."

"Whatever."

Jesse looked up as she said this, but shrugged, swallowing a lump in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to take Elizabeth into his arms and kiss her from head-to-toe but he knew it was wrong to think that way about Winnie's granddaughter. That was why he was going to seek out Charlotte; not to do anything bad with her, but to try to keep his mind from wandering to Elizabeth and her wonderful body that he'd seen in its entirety the night before.

Elizabeth sighed, wondering what she would do with herself since Jesse was gone. She'd been counting on spending time with him, hearing Winnie's story from his point of view, as she hadn't asked him the day before. She had too much fun exploring the woods with him at her side to remember the millions of other questions she wanted to hurl at him that she hadn't already.

The cycle's motor roared to life, startling her out of her day dreams, and she looked up in time to see Jesse speed away, the wind blowing through his hair. Elizabeth sat down and brought the hem of Jesse's shirt to her nose and inhaled once again. "For some, time passes slowly. An hour can seem an eternity. For others, there's never enough. For the Tucks, it didn't exist.

"Time is like a wheel—turning and turning, never stopping and the woods are the center, the hub of the wheel.

"It began the first week of summer, a strange and breathless time, when accident, or fate, bring lives together; when people are led to do things they've never done before," Elizabeth quoted to herself. It brought comfort to her to know that she remembered the word's of her grandmother's tale when she hadn't heard it in a few years. During the last couple of years of her life, Winifred had been bedridden, unable to speak of her youth to anyone. She did not see anyone but Elizabeth, and even then, the visits were nothing but silence.

"On this summer's day, not so very long ago, the wheel set lives in motion in mysterious ways. It set Mae Tuck out in her wagon for the village of Treegap to meet her two sons as she did once every ten years."

Elizabeth lolled around on the porch all day, reciting word for word each and every part of grandmother's story, as if Winifred was sitting there with her, telling the story to her once more.

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It took Jesse what seemed hours to get out of the woods and then hours more to find Walnut Road. He rode his motorcycle down the street, searching each house in turn for the biggest labeled 1545. He stopped outside a large white house, easily the grandest on the block, and hard to miss, as Elizabeth had said. He got off his vehicle, walked up to the door, and knocked.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, I'm sorry it's been so long and that the chapter is so short. This chapter was hard for me to write, though I don't know why. I think I had writer's block, which sucks. Also, why it took me so long was that I came down with walking pneumonia. Once again, sorry about the wait, and here is chapter 4! And thank you to those who reviewed! It was very much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, nope nope nope.**

Chapter 4-A Wild Ride

Jesse knocked on the door to Charlotte Johanssen's mansion. A man with a bushy mustache, little hair, and wearing a suit answered the door and requested, rather snootily, in Jesse's opinion, that he should wait for _Miss_ Johanssen to make her appearance. Jesse only nodded his gratitude and stood in the entrance hall, occasionally fidgeting, the only sign that he was nervous.

"Well if it isn't Jesse Tuck himself," Charlotte grinned as she made her way down the staircase, clad in a beautiful pink summer dress and clearly wearing a corset underneath. "How have you been since the last time we met? And how did you know where I live?"

"Good, and Elizabeth," Jesse replied, not in the least bit overwhelmed by the blonde's great beauty, like most guys were.

Charlotte forced a tight, painful, thin-lipped smile. "You know where she is, then? The whole town's gone mad looking for her."

"Yes, I know. She's been living with my family since we were in the woods. I found her asleep and Miles brought her to Mae."

Charlotte bit her bottom lip in agitation, an ugly habit, she'd always been told. "I see. Well, I hope she's safe." Her tone implied just the opposite. She didn't want Elizabeth to be living with Jesse and his family, because what if Jesse fell in love with _her_? Charlotte almost stomped her foot at this thought. _She_ wanted Jesse; she deserved him!

"She is. But I decided to come visit you…"

Charlotte couldn't suppress the triumphant grin that spread across her face. Without saying anything, she bounded down the last remaining steps and flung herself into Jesse's arms, kissing him full on the mouth. After a few breathless seconds, Charlotte pulled away, her arms wound around his neck, and stared into his gorgeous eyes. Jesse had had time during the kiss to hide the shock that had registered on his face so that he wouldn't hurt Charlotte's feelings or anything like that.

Charlotte blushed and leaned in again, kissing him softly on the lips this time. "I've wanted to do that since we met," she mumbled shyly.

"Oh," Jesse replied, unable to think up a witty response. He didn't much like Charlotte anymore, but if he was going to keep away from Elizabeth and not fall in love with her like he did with Winnie, he would have to make the appearance that he preferred Charlotte. To spare himself from answering anything else, he drew Charlotte closer, placing one of his hands at the back of her head and let the other one drop to her hip, and kissed her soundly.

Charlotte moaned with satisfaction and pleasure, and squeaked in protest when Jesse released her from his strong grip. Before anything could be said, a man's deep voice boomed, "Who the hell are you?"

Jesse jumped back from Charlotte as if he'd been burned and turned around to face the person who had spoken. The man was heavy-set, with small blue eyes in his sunken flesh. He had a bushy mustache and the little trace of a beard, and his hair, or what was left of it, was the darkest brown. Though they looked nothing alike, Jesse was sure that this was Charlotte's father.

"Pardon me, sir," Jesse mumbled before clearing his throat and looking directly into Mr. Johanssen's glare. "My name is Jesse Tuck."

A woman appeared behind Mr. Johanssen, and Jesse could only assume that the woman of grace and beauty was none other than Mrs. Johanssen. She had the same golden blonde locks as Charlotte, and the same sky blue eyes; their facial structure was much the same as well, with their high cheekbones and perfect pouting lips. "Jesse Tuck?" she murmured. It wasn't a question, so Jesse did not respond to it. "Why, Charlotte speaks of nothing else."

At her mother's words, Charlotte felt her face go hot and she was sure she was blushing something awful. Jesse forced a grin at her, void of emotion, and Charlotte muttered down at her feet, "Well, I suppose it could be true."

"Come, Ron. Let us leave them," Mrs. Johanssen suggested, gently tugging her husband's arm.

Jesse was surprised at the formality of language Mrs. Johanssen used; he hadn't heard someone speak so primly and properly since Winnie…after all, he had been hiding out, away from the world and everything in it. Mr. Johanssen scoffed slightly but followed his wife, muttering to her, "Are you sure he's safe, Catherine?"

"Oh, honestly, Ronald!" she exclaimed before lowering her voice and whispering to him quietly as they left the room. Jesse and Charlotte heard them arguing in hushed tones until they were gone from sight.

The two remaining looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Finally, Jesse cleared his throat. "Um…would you like to go for a ride, Charlotte?"

"On your motorcycle?" Charlotte asked eagerly. "I'd love to!" In her haste to get out the door, she forgot to tell her parents where she was going, and Jesse didn't remind her, although the thought had certainly crossed his mind. He found Charlotte rather annoying, and if he was caught driving her around on his motorcycle without permission, he felt sure that her parents would forbid them to see each other again.

Jesse felt confused as he handed Charlotte a spare helmet and fastened the clasp of his own under his chin. On the one hand, he wanted to make a pretense of liking Charlotte as more than just friends in order to save Elizabeth from him and the life he led; on the other hand, he could barely stomach the very sight of the blonde girl, especially since she seemed vain and almost…seductive, in a way.

He revved the engine as soon as Charlotte got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, and took off, ignoring Charlotte's flirtatious giggle. "Where are we going?" she shouted to him, and he winced slightly. Her loud voice had echoed in his ear, as her mouth was right next to his ear.

"Where do you want to go?" he shouted back, not really caring.

"Oh, I don't know," Charlotte replied, a smirk forming over her perfect lips. "Wherever you want to take me!"

"As you wish," Jesse muttered under his breath, increasing his motorcycle's speed to the point where Charlotte's eyes were streaming from wind tears through her helmet.

"Jesse, slow down!" she shrieked, almost letting go of his waist in a panic to get off the vehicle. With one hand, though he knew it was incredibly dangerous to do, he reached behind his back and grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Jesse what are you doing?"

"Calm down!" Jesse snapped in annoyance. Good Lord, this girl was getting irksome. He was temped to release her wrist and let her go flying off the back of his Harley. But he maintained control of his temper and managed to pull onto the shoulder of the road, coming to a complete stop and parking the Harley before jumping off in agitation.

"What the hell is your problem? Do you want to fall off the bike?" Jesse asked, running a hand through his hair. Charlotte swung off as well, confused and more than a little hurt.

"Not particularly, no," Charlotte replied, twisting a blonde strand of hair around her finger and twirling it while batting her eyelashes rather stupidly at him. Jesse sighed and got back on the motorcycle without helping Charlotte first. After pouting a bit, when she realized he wasn't even looking at her, she got back on herself and clutched Jesse's waist, though admittedly with less force than she had before.

"I'm taking you home," Jesse told her as he started the engine again. "Your parents will be worried."


End file.
